Mending needle structure



March 1952 H. BUECHE-ROSSE MENDING NEEDLE STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 26, 1950"ii-"HIM II I I .5 If M E mm Patented Mar. 25, 1952 Henri Bueche-Ross,Court, Jura Bernois, Switzerland Application October 26, 1950, SerialNo. 192,309 In Switzerland October 28, 1949 3 Claims. (01. 66-15) Thisinvention relates to mending needle structures.

Mending needles are hook-like elements by means of which meshes or loopsof knit goods are moved in reciprocal fashion and in axial direction ofthe needle in more or less rapid regularity and succession.

To this effect, it has been proposed to connect said needles, forexample, with a piston which is driven by alternately sucking in andexpelling air within a cylinder which is in the form of a sleevereceiving said mending needle.

Experience has shown that the fineness of loops or meshes nowadaysemployed in particular in stockings requires a more and more delicateoperation of the mending device and necessitates the prevention ofbreakage during the work performance, which is principally caused by asudden needle movement and when said needle reaches its dead ends andreverses its movement.

The present invention deals with a portable mending needle structurewhich is pneumatically driven and avoids all these and other undesirableeffects.

To this end, the mending needle is rigidly connected to a member whichpermits of a certain axial play relatively to the piston, an elastic anddeformable element being interposed between said member and said piston.

The attached drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the inventionillustrating partly in section the cylinder I in which piston 2 is movedby means of air which is alternately supplied and discharged throughconduit 3 which causes axial reciprocal movement of the piston. Theneedle 4 proper is adapted to mend any type of mesh material andparticipates in the movements of the piston. This needle 4 is rigidlyconnected to a rod member 5 which in turn extends into a bore 6 of asleeve or pipe member 1 which constitutes the piston rod of the piston2.

The rod member is movable in axial direction Within bore 6 andrelatively to the sleeve member I in which rod member 5 is retained bymeans of a retracting spring element 8 whose ends are, respectively,connected to the rod member 5 and sleeve member 1.

While the piston 2 moves back and forth, the sleeve member 1 which isfixedly associated with the piston 2 follows this movement. The rodmember 5 participates in this movement in a non-rigid manner since it isenabled to slightly give and to be displaced in a retarding manner ifand when it encounters the slightest resistance. The extent of sucharrangement naturally de- 2 pends upon the characteristics of the springelement 8 which should be yieldable as much as possible.

As it is evident, air enclosed in bore 6 and rearwardly of the rodmember 5 may oppose the free play in the attachment provided between therod member 5 and needle 4. I It is, therefore, necessary to provide anopening (not shown) either transversely through the Wall of sleevemember 1 or transversely of rod member 5 or longitudinal recesses may benotched in either or both these members.

A mending needle supported by a sleevemember, as hereinabove described,permits the execution of the finest needle work without running the riskof damaging the mesh or loop structure of the knitted material.

It is to be noted that spring members 9, 9a are arranged within saidcylinder l and at opposite sides of piston 2 to equalize the movementsof the latter. The piston rod 1 and needle supporting member 5 projectnormally beyond cylinder I, as seen in the drawing.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with theinvention a pneumatically driven mending needle, the reciprocal movementof which is subjected to a damping action, which needle is substantiallyarranged in the following manner:

The mending needle is held and rigidly connected with a supportingmember which is axially movable within a bore of a piston rod, which inturn is rigidly connected to a piston which performs a reciprocalmovement within a hollow cylinder, into which air is introduced and fromwhich air is expelled in a well known manner. The piston rod isconnected with the mending needle supporting member through a coilspring permitting relative movements of the mending needle to the pistonrod and piston, respectively.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and hereindescribed, it will be understood that the same is capable ofmodification without departure from the general scope and spirit of theinvention as defined in the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pneumatically driven mending needle comprising a piston including acylinder therefor, a piston rod rigidly connected to said piston andprovided with a longitudinal bore, a mending needle supporting memberaxially movable within said bore and relative to said piston, and springmeans interconnecting said supporting member and said piston rod.

2. A needle according to claim 1, wherein said spring means is arrangedwithout said cylinder beyond which said piston rod extends.

3. A needle according to claim 1, wherein an air space is providedwithin said bore and rearwardly of said supporting member, and meansproviding" a connection of said bore with the atmosphere.

HENRI BUECHE-ROSSE.

The following references are of record in the 4 REFERENCES CITED file ofthis patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gostkowski Apr. 26. 1938 Runice.Feb. 4, 1947 Vitoux Nov-. 16, 1948 Bombonato Aug. 8, 1950

